Latest On Barbara Boxer

The California Democrats say there should be “no such thing” as a philosophical exemption. California has had a recent measles outbreak — and, in general, few Democrats in the state are totally clear on whether the exemption should end.

The exact timing of Barbara Boxer’s retirement announcement caught California Democrats off-guard — and launched a fluid, high-stakes weekend. Now Harris and Newsom are considering the job. But there’s no “deal,” they haven’t spoken, and state Democrats are still waiting.

“I cannot stay silent while your country works to put in place deeply discriminatory laws and policies undermining the rights of LGBT individuals,” the California senator writes to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Boxer also expresses concern about the upcoming Winter Olympics.

“We’ve gone from a Senate that passed DOMA over my objections to one that just welcomed its first openly gay senator,” Kerry said. Sens. Boxer, Feinstein & Wyden joined Kerry in voting against DOMA in 1996.

Addresses his past use of the term “Jewish lobby” and his opposition to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in a letter to Sen. Barbara Boxer. Among his commitments about out gay service: “I will do everything possible to the extent permissible under current law to provide equal benefits to the families of all our service members.”

Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum takes a sharp partisan line. But in 2006 when the Pennsylvania Senate candidate was in a tough reelection fight he tried to appeal to moderate voters by touting a record of working with liberal leaders Bill Clinton, Barbara Boxer, and Dick Durbin among others. He lost by 16%.